


Potion Pooled

by RockSunner



Series: Potionate AU series [13]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Comedy, Love Potion/Spell, Multi, One-Sided Attraction, Romance, prison break - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 18:56:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3580290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockSunner/pseuds/RockSunner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Like other stories in the "Potionate" AU series, this explores the effects of love potion on the lives of the Pine Twins and the people they know. All characters belong to Alex Hirsch, not me. What if Wendy got hold of some love potion from last year's Woodstick concert?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Water Balloons

"Ah, the pool! A sparkling oasis of summer enchantment!" said Mabel.

Stan said, "Yeah, nothing like sitting in a moist tub with strangers. It's like the bus, but wet."

Dipper looked at the towel Soos was holding. "Why would a sun need to wear sunglasses?"

"It's best not to think about it," said Soos.

"Whoa, whoa! Stop the presses! Who's that?" asked Mabel.

She was looking at a handsome young man whose hair was blowing in the wind.

"Oh, yeah," said Soos. "Word is, dude never leaves the pool. People say he's a 'mysterious loner'."

"Is it getting hot out here or is it just that guy?" said Mabel.

"It's the hottest day of the year, Mabel," said Dipper. "Besides, can't you go for one week without having a new crush on some random guy?"

"Uh-uh. Look at his little mustache hairs!" said Mabel with a gasp.

"You are clearly enamored. Go to him," said Soos.

Mabel ran around the pool, tripping over a bucket and stumbling over people in lawn chairs. "Aaah! Oops, sorry."

"It's so beautiful!" said Soos.

"Eh, Mabel's all talk," said Dipper. "You wanna know a secret? She's never even kissed a guy before. She always messes it up somehow."

"Oy, women," said Stan. Then he yelled as a water balloon was thrown in his face.

"Hey, Mr. Pines!" said Wendy.

Stan said, "Wendy? Where's the lifeguard?"

"I am the lifeguard. I make the rules, sucka! Boosh!" said Wendy, throwing another water balloon.

"Aah! She's attacking me with water!" said Stan.

Wendy, Soos, and Dipper laughed.

"Wow. You work here?" asked Dipper.

"I found out lifeguards get free snack privileges," said Wendy. "Plus I get the best seat in the house."

"Yeah, you do!" Dipper laughed, then said to himself in a whisper, "I've been laughing for too long..."

"Dude, are you and Wendy having a secret staring contest? 'Cause I think you're winning," said Soos.

"Soos! Shh!" said Dipper.

He pushed Soos away, then turned back to Wendy. "So, hey, you wanna go chuck more water balloons at Grunkle Stan?"

"I'd love to, but I gotta spend the day doing tryouts. We're looking for a new assistant lifeguard," said Wendy.

"Hey," said Dipper, first in a high voice and then in a lower-pitched one. "What if I was the assistant lifeguard?"

"That would be so much fun!" said Wendy. "You're totally in, dude! You just have to check in with my boss first, Mr. Poolcheck."

"Your boss?" asked Dipper.

He was nervous, but he went over and talked to the man.

A few minutes later he came back with a whistle around his neck.

"Hey, Wendy, I got the job!" said Dipper.

"Sweet!" said Wendy. "Let's abuse our power. I have this great prank planned and I need your help."

"But what if Poolcheck catches us? He seems emotionally unstable," said Dipper.

He looked at Mr. Poolcheck, who was doing push ups on the chain-link fence.

"Nah, don't worry, man. You just gotta be sneaky about your rule-breaking. Race you to the no running sign!" said Wendy.

Dipper followed, but slowed down when he saw Poolcheck looking his way.

Wendy led Dipper around the side of the supply storage shed.

"Help me spike some special water balloons with this stuff," said Wendy, picking up a bottle filled with a pink liquid.

"What is it?" said Dipper.

"There's a rock festival that comes to Gravity Falls once a year, called Woodstick," said Wendy. "Last year I found this dropped on the ground. Home-made hippie perfume."

Dipper read the label and chuckled. "Summer Love. For a love guaranteed to last all summer long."

"It smells like roses and daisies," said Wendy. "I don't use girly stuff like this myself, but it would be great to throw on people."

"Sure, sounds fun," said Dipper, eager to go along with whatever Wendy wanted.

Wendy held a half-filled balloon open for Dipper. "Okay, pour some in."

Dipper did this, getting a little on Wendy's hand in the process. "Oops, sorry."

"Don't sweat it," said Wendy. "It's going to be great working with you. We can have fun all summer long."

There was a new expression on her face that gave Dipper hope.

"We sure can," Dipper said.

"Dare you to throw this balloon on Mabel and that guy she's flirting with," said Wendy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mabel had been rebuffed once by the young man, named Mermando. He had told her that he had a terrible secret, and she was intrigued enough to offer him a wet sandwich.

"I like sharing things. Sandwiches, secrets," said Mabel. In a whisper she added, "Share your secret, beautiful stranger."

"That wet sandwich does look delicious," said Mermando. "Oh, very well. But you must never tell another living soul my terrible secret."

Mabel nodded.

"You have to stay away from me because I am... a merman!" said Mermando, pushing away his rubber raft for a second so that she could see his fish half.

"Oh, thank goodness. I thought you were gonna say you had a girlfriend!" said Mabel.

At that moment, Dipper threw the potion-spiked water balloon from a distance, and it splattered over both of them. To Dipper's disappointment they didn't react, because they suddenly had eyes only for each other.

"My second secret..." said Mermando, gazing fondly at Mabel, "Is that I am falling madly in love with you."

"Oh my," said Mabel, beaming with joy.

* * *

On the other side of the pool, Stan and Gideon had begun a dispute over the perfect chair. While they were occupied, Wendy sneaked up with another spiked balloon.

"Gideon! Get outta my chair, kid!" Stan yelled.

"Oh my, was this your chair? I had no idea," said Gideon. "Yes I did, Stan, I knew," he added in a whisper.

"Move it, you little troll!" said Stan.

"First come, first served," said Gideon.

Just then, Wendy threw the balloon at Stan's back. But he had spotted her out of the corner of his eye, and he dodged. The balloon landed on Gideon instead.

"Stanford, did you ask your employee to throw water on me?" asked Gideon. "I... don't mind at all, you sweet, sweet man. Here, the chair is yours."

"What's the trick, Gideon?" asked Stan.

"No trick," said Gideon. "I'll stand right beside you and fan you gently to keep you cool."

"Ugh! Come on, Soos," said Stan. "Beating the heat isn't worth this. You won this time, Gideon."

"Please stay, Stanford," said Gideon.

"Forget it!"


	2. Pool Prisoner

After a wonderful day working together, Wendy said to Dipper, "I'd like to get your phone number. It would be great to keep in touch, you know?"

Dipper said, "I'd lo... like that, but my cell phone doesn't work well around here."

"Bummer, who's your provider?" said Wendy.

"It's on the Jiminy network," said Dipper.

"Dude, no wonder. That might work all right in California, but there's hardly any coverage out here in the sticks. I'll help you get a prepaid phone, all right?"

"Thank you," said Dipper. "That's really nice."

They walked through town on the way home and Wendy bought Dipper a phone.

* * *

That evening, Mabel got the Mystery Cart and headed to the pool, determined to see Mermando again. She broke in by grabbing the skimmer net through the fence, pulling the handle through, and stepping on it roughly enough to bend it. She climbed the fence and called to Mermando, ready with scrapbooks to show him some of her life.

"Look! Here's a scrapbook of human stuff," said Mabel. "Here's me standing with my legs. And here I am kicking Dipper in his legs. He couldn't move his legs after that! Can you imagine? Not having legs?"

"Let's skip this book," said Mermando with a frown.

Mabel felt that was doing something wrong, but she didn't know what. She kept on.

"And here's my whole family kickboxing!"

Mermando sighed, but he didn't move away.

"Your talk of your family makes me think of my family in the ocean," said Mermando.

He tried to strum a chord on his guitar, but it was filled with water.

"How I miss them," Mermando said, showing a family photograph from the shell around his neck.

Mabel touched his shoulder. "Mermando, why don't you just leave the pool?"

Mermando described his bold and daring plan that ended up with him attacked by woodpeckers and wolves.

"No, I'm glad that I'm here, 'cause I met you," said Mermando. "I am so loco for you that I no longer wish to leave."

A falling star shot through the air.

"This is it,Mabel. First kiss moment, here we come! Just go for it!" thought Mabel. She puckered and closed her eyes. Mermando kissed her.

They put their arms around each other and were about to share more kisses, when a young boy's voice interrupted them.

"Hey lovebirds, you have an audience here," called the prisoner in pool solitary. "No mushy stuff in front of the kid."

* * *

Wendy called Dipper on his new phone that evening. "How's it going, dude?"

"Good," said Dipper.

"Can we talk without Mabel overhearing?" asked Wendy.

"Yeah, she's gone off somewhere," said Dipper. "She said not to wait up."

"That's good, right?" asked Wendy. "She's hitting it off with that guy she met at the pool today."

"Too fast," said Dipper. "The last time she said 'Don't wait up' I ended up having to save her from marrying a bunch of gnomes. I'll bet there's something weird about this guy, too."

Wendy chuckled. "Man, you two are the funniest."

"Funny things happen here all the time, and I don't mean 'funny' funny," said Dipper. "Gideon came around on that white horse of his, and he was serenading Grunkle Stan with a guitar."

"Are you kidding me?" said Wendy.

"For real," said Dipper. "I had to talk Grunkle Stan out of using his shotgun. I finally convinced him that Gideon wasn't worth going to prison for. Seeing the gun was enough to scare Gideon off, for now."

"What's Gideon trying to do, provoking Stan like that?" asked Wendy.

"It's weird," said Dipper. "It's like when he was trying to be super-nice and court Mabel."

"Gideon couldn't be in love with Stan, could he?" asked Wendy.

"What if the hippie perfume you found was something more? Summer Love – a love potion," said Dipper. "It would explain why Mabel and that guy from the pool are getting along so well, too."

"And it would explain one other thing, too," said Wendy. "Why I can't stop thinking about you."

"R-really?" said Dipper.

"I wanted to take things slow and not scare you off, but when I heard that Mabel was out late my first thought was 'Great, I can invite him over here'," said Wendy.

"What?" said Dipper.

"I know you'd like to go out with me," said Wendy. "I've heard what you whisper under your breath when you think I can't hear."

"B-but, this is because of the love potion. The bottle said it would only last for the summer. If I take advantage of this, you'll hate me later."

"Dipper, I have a bit of a reputation for falling in and out of love easily," said Wendy. "If we have a romance that lasts all summer, it will be the longest relationship I've ever had in my life."

"But, aren't you dating Robbie?" asked Dipper.

"I'll dump him," said Wendy. "He doesn't listen and he lies to me. Unlike you."

"Wendy, in a way this is wonderful, all I ever wanted, but..."

"What, you're holding out for the perfect forever love?"

"Well, uh..."

"You're too young to be ready for that kind of commitment. Heck, so am I. But you need experience, to know how to relate to a woman. You could learn a lot from me."

"This feels weird."

"I warn you, if you reject me then we might not stay friends," said Wendy.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?" asked Dipper.

"I haven't heard that song lyric, but that's the general idea," said Wendy.

"I'll come over there now," said Dipper.

"See you soon," said Wendy.

* * *

"How did you end up in long-term pool solitary?" Mabel asked the prisoner.

"It was because of a practical joke," said the prisoner. "I messed with the pool filter system, and Poolcheck ended up losing a hand. Now he hates me and won't let me out. They call me Pool Hand Luke"

"That's rough, Luke," said Mabel.

"Can't your parents do anything?" asked Mermando.

"Poolcheck has absolute power to hand out punishments at the pool," said Pool Hand Luke.

"Don't worry, Luke," said Mabel. "Mermando and I will find a way to break you out."

"Thanks," said Luke.

"Don't mention it," said Mabel. "We want our privacy in the pool at night for the rest of the summer."

"How are you going to get me out?" asked Luke. "Poolcheck has the only key."

"Just wait and see. I'll come up with a foolproof plan," said Mabel.


	3. Night Encounter

Dipper was back in his bed at the Mystery Shack, reliving his memories and thinking. He had a real girlfriend now! Things had been more awkward than he imagined. Getting in and out of Wendy's room without being caught by her father or brothers had been scary. He was so nervous that he couldn't perform for a while, but Wendy had been understanding and soothing, and things had eventually worked out.

This was going to be an amazing summer. Dipper wasn't sure how he felt about the love potion wearing off at the end of it. Maybe by then Wendy would fall for him for real...

He heard the door creak open and Mabel sneaked in.

"Mabel, where have you been?" Dipper asked.

Mabel started at his voice. "I thought you would be asleep."

"No, I've been awake. Where have you been? You smell like chlorine," said Dipper.

Mabel came close to him and sniffed. "You smell different, too. You've been with a girl!"

"You're imagining things," said Dipper.

"It was Wendy, wasn't it? I saw how she was looking at you at the end of the day, you Casablanca!"

"That's Casanova," said Dipper.

"Then you admit it!" said Mabel in triumph.

"I guess I can't keep it a secret from you forever," said Dipper with a sigh. "Wendy and I are dating."

"Wow, congratulations bro-bro!"

"What about you? Did you meet that weird guy from the pool somewhere?"

"Mermando is not weird!"

"So I was right," said Dipper.

"You have a girlfriend and I have a boyfriend," said Mabel. "Woop woop!"

"There's something you need to know," said Dipper.

"What?" asked Mabel.

"Those water balloons Wendy and I were throwing around... we put something in them that we think now was magic love potion."

"You're kidding."

"No. You know the way Gideon has been acting, coming around and serenading Grunkle Stan? He got a water balloon popped on him."

"I'm just relieved he's stopped chasing after me."

"But don't you see, the way you and Mermando feel may be because of love potion, too."

"Nonsense, I was interested in Mermando long before I got hit with a balloon. He's gorgeous."

"But his feelings for you... and... and Wendy's for me... they may be all because of the potion. The bottle was labeled 'Summer Love' and it said it would only last until the end of the summer."

"I refuse to believe it," said Mabel, shaking her head vigorously. "Mermando and I have something real. And I hope you and Wendy do, too."

"I wish I could be sure," said Dipper.

"Anyway, we're going to need your help with something," said Mabel.

"What do you want?" asked Dipper.

"Mermando and I can only meet at the pool, for... reasons. There's a prisoner in pool jail solitary confinement who's there 24/7. We need to spring him so we can have privacy."

"What? You want help with a jailbreak?"

"Did Poolcheck tell you anything about where he keeps his keys?"

"No, I'm not that trusted yet, and if I try anything I'm sure to lose my job," said Dipper.

"Why does the job matter so much?"

"I get to spend lots of time with Wendy there, and I don't want to lose that."

"But this is for love," said Mabel.

"Nothing doing," said Dipper. "I have a love interest at stake, too."

"Pleeease?" said Mabel, making puppy eyes at him.

"No," said Dipper.

"I'll tell Grunkle Stan about you and Wendy," said Mabel. "He'll put a stop to it."

"You wouldn't," said Dipper.

"If I can't have Mermando, then you can't have Wendy," said Mabel firmly.

"All right, I'll do what I can to help you," said Dipper.

"Yay! You're the best brother in the world," said Mabel, giving him a hug.

"And you're a great sister, for a blackmailer," said Dipper.


	4. Jailbreak

The next day at the pool, Deputy Durland was putting sunscreen on the back of Sheriff Blubs. A life preserver ring fell around Blubs, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Wha-what the?" said Blubs.

Another ring fell on Durland, pinning his arms, too.

Durland said, "I'm scared!"

"Me too!" said Blubs.

Wendy and Dipper looked down from their lifeguard seat. There were the ones throwing the life preservers.

"One hundred points!" said Dipper.

Wendy said, "Dude! With this job, you and me are gonna be havin' fun all summer!"

"And not just on the job," said Dipper, smiling and blushing.

"Right," said Wendy, smiling back.

Mr. Poolcheck blew his whistle and pointed to the police officers rolling on the ground, still trapped by the rings. "Pines! Here! Now!"

Dipper stood in front of the pools supply building while Poolcheck paced back and forth.

Poolcheck said, "You gave me your word that you would respect the safety rules of this municipal pool!"

"Mr. Poolcheck? Are you crying?" asked Dipper.

"That's not important right now!" Poolcheck glared at Dipper and wiped his eyes. "You're on thin ice, boy! You wanna keep this job? Well, some maniac broke into the supplies closet last night and destroyed our one and only pool skimmer! I want you on stakeout. If one more supply gets taken, you're fired!"

"I won't let you down!" said Dipper.

Mabel and Mermando were playing in the pool with a ball.

"Mermando, get ready! I'm gonna BRING THE HEAT!" called Mabel as she threw the ball to him.

Mermando, with all his attention on her, caught it easily.

"Mabel, this is wonderful, spending time with you," said Mermando.

"We'll be able to do even more once Operation Jailbreak happens tonight," said Mabel, grinning at him.

* * *

That night, Dipper was on duty.

"Alright, Dipper, here's the plan. Catch the trespasser, protect the supplies, get off night stakeout duty and back to spending nights with Wendy, and eventually marry her," Dipper said to himself.

Dipper turned when he heard a sound behind him, and pointed his flashlight. "Freeze!"

It turned out to be Mabel cutting the fence with wire cutters.

"Hi, Dipper!" Mabel said.

"Mabel, I should have known it was you destroying the pool supplies."

"My crime is a lot better than that," said Mabel. "Tonight we free the prisoner from pool solitary. Then my new boyfriend and I will have some privacy."

"Are you sure this is a good idea? Mr. Poolcheck is going to be furious."

"Come on, it's not right for him to keep a kid locked up in there day and night."

Dipper sighed. "I guess you're right. What's the plan?"

"I have the golf cart from the Mystery Shack. I'll use it to drive him far away from here."

"You took the golf cart?" asked Dipper.

With Grunkle Stan temporarily in jail for punching Gideon today, it was easy," said Mabel.

"Poor Grunkle Stan. I wish Gideon would leave him alone," said Dipper.

"Better him than me," said Mabel.

"I think the entry to the pool solitary is through a trap-door in the shed," said Dipper. "Just don't damage any more supplies, all right?"

"No problem," said Mabel.

Mabel opened the trap-door and ran down a narrow hall that ran beside the pool. She found and opened the solitary confinement cell.

As Mabel's eyes adjusted to the dark she saw the prisoner, Pool Hand Luke, standing close to the opening to the pool where he could look out. He was dressed in nothing but a ragged swimsuit.

"Whew, it reeks in here," said Mabel.

"I can't help that," said Luke. "At least water sloshes in sometimes and washes any waste down the drain."

"He has you chained up?" said Mabel, seeing the ankle chain that tethered Luke to the floor.

"Yeah," said Luke. "I don't think you're going to be able to get me free"

Mabel applied her hairpin to the padlock holding the chain, but it was too stiff and rusty.

"Hold on, I'm going to get something," said Mabel.

Mabel ran back to the supply room and found a crowbar that Poolcheck used for lifting pool drains. She grabbed it while Dipper's back was turned and ran back to the cell.

"Here goes," she said.

Using the crowbar she pried at the bolt holding the chain to the floor. The crowbar bent from the strain, but the bolt finally tore loose.

"Got it! Come on," said Mabel.

She dropped the crowbar on the floor and helped Luke limp to freedom.

"Mission accomplished," she called to Dipper. "See you at home later, broseph."

She and Luke got onto the golf cart and drove away.

"Poolcheck is going to be furious about this," said Dipper to himself. "But at least no more pool supplies were damaged on my watch. That's the most important thing."


	5. Punishment

The next day, Poolcheck's face was a mask of rage. "Come with me, boy!"

Dipper followed him down the trapdoor and into the solitary confinement cell.

"Look at this!" Poolcheck snarled. "A wrecked fence, damage to my crowbar. And a missing prisoner? Who is responsible for this?"

"It's my fault, sir. I'm sorry. I got in too deep," said Dipper.

"Hand over the whistle, boy!" said Poolcheck.

Dipper gave the whistle to him, and Poolcheck chewed it up.

"I'll be going now..."

Dipper started to back away, but Poolcheck produced a length of chain. He snapped a cuff on one end around Dipper's ankle. He secured the other end to the broken bolt in the floor and drove the bolt back in with a mighty blow, using his artificial hand like a hammer.

"That ought to hold you until I can order a permanent chain that nobody can ever break," said Poolcheck.

"What? W-what are you doing, sir?" Dipper asked.

"For letting Luke escape from pool justice, I sentence you to take his place."

"NO! You can't do that to me!"

"I can and I will. I have police powers over this municipal pool and I can impose whatever sentences I want. Gravity Falls laws allow punishing people of any age as adults."

"This is unbelievable. How long is the sentence?"

"Life."

Poolcheck stalked out and slammed the door.

Dipper looked around the dank, malodorous cell. He pulled at the chain, but it was stuck fast. Was he doomed to spend the rest of his life here, and never be with Wendy again?

* * *

Dipper looked out of his barred window. He saw Mabel's boyfriend with his inflatable raft, floating nearby.

"Mermando, right?" called Dipper. "I'm Dipper, Mabel's brother, and Poolcheck has locked me up because I let the prisoner escape last night."

"I will do what I can to help you, amigo," said Mermando. "But I can do nothing to get you out."

"Please just get word to Mabel. She can talk to Grunkle Stan, and I'm sure they can do something about this."

"The last prisoner was there for as long as I can remember" said Mermando. "His parents tried, but they could do nothing for him. Poolcheck's legal powers here are absolute."

Dipper groaned.

* * *

Mabel was visiting Stan in jail, where he had been sent for punching Gideon after too many annoying advances by the psychic.

"...So that's what happened, Grunkle Stan. We have to save Dipper!"

"We will, sweetheart," said Stan. "We'll bust him out, and then we'll send the two of you home."

"What? No, I don't wanna go home, now that I've found a boyfriend here," said Mabel.

"It'll be too hot for the two of you in this town after we break that jail a second time," said Stan.

"Ah have a possible solution," said a drawling voice behind Mabel.

Mabel spun around. "Gideon! How did you get in here? This is my visiting hour."

"People have a hard time saying no to l'il ol' me," said Gideon. "Ah can use that to your advantage. If Ah pull the right strings, Ah can get Poolcheck replaced with someone more reasonable, who will let Dipper walk free."

Mabel narrowed her eyes. "What are you asking in return? I'm not going to start dating you again."

"Oh, Ah don't want to date you anymore. I want Stanford to go out on a date with me."

"If it will get Dipper free..." said Stan.

"Don't do it, Grunkle Stan! Don't fall into the chubby quicksand," said Mabel. "One date will lead to more and more. I speak from experience."

"Ah resent your remarks on my weight," said Gideon. "Ah want an apology before Ah carry out my offer."

"Better apologize and let him do it, Mabel," said Stan. "I can take care of myself."

"Not until I try my own way first," said Mabel.

"You'll come crawling to me soon enough," said Gideon, heading out of the visiting room. "Both of you."


	6. Release

That night, Mabel broke into the pool again. Poolcheck had patched the hole she made, but she managed to push through. She was tiptoeing toward the supply shed when she was caught in the beam of a flashlight.

"Aha!" said Poolcheck. "I thought someone might try again. That's why I was sleeping here in a deck chair. I'm a light sleeper."

"Yikes!" said Mabel, turning to run.

Poolcheck sprang forward and grabbed her by the arm. "So, what were you after? More equipment vandalism, the prisoner, or both?"

"I... um..." said Mabel. "Please, Mr. Poolcheck, it's my brother Dipper that you've got in jail. It was me who got Luke out, not him. If anyone should be locked up for that, it's me."

Poolcheck said, "I wish I had two cells, but I've only got one. Your brother betrayed my trust, permitting an escape when I put him on night watch. He stays. I'll just ban you from the pool for life."

Mabel said, "What? No! How will I see the man I lo- I mean, visit my brother?"

"Who are you talking about?" asked Poolcheck. "You can't mean your brother is the man you love!"

"Nobody," said Mabel. "Forget I said anything."

"I demand to know if you have another accomplice," said Poolcheck. "I'll ban him, too."

He started to twist Mabel's arm, and she cried out.

"Stop! She means me," said Mermando, appearing from underwater where he had been hiding. "All of this was for my sake. Let Mabel go."

"A merman?" said Poolcheck.

He let go of Mabel and rushed to the side of the pool. He caught Mermando's right arm with one hand.

"This is amazing! I'll put you on display in a tank. With attraction like you, I'll get so much business that I can buy a new pool skimmer and a lot of other equipment I've been wanting."

A water balloon hit Poolcheck from behind, It splashed over both him and Mermando.

"What was that?" asked Poolcheck. A glow came into his eyes. "Merman, I'm suddenly feeling... very attracted to you."

"And I to you," said Mermando.

"No!" said Mabel. "I had a water balloon with love potion in it that I was keeping for an emergency, but I didn't mean to hit both of you!"

"Love potion!" said Poolcheck. "This is wonderful. The life of a pool manager is a lonely one. Now at last I have someone to share it with."

Mermando said, "I cannot remain here forever; the chlorinated water is bad for my gills. I must return to my family in the ocean. Will you help me?'

Poolcheck said, "Yes, if you take me with you."

"I will, if you will do one thing for me first," said Mermando.

"What is that?" asked Poolcheck.

"Write a legal pardon for my friend Dipper Pines, and set him free."

"I hate to do that," said Poolcheck. "But since I'm leaving here anyway... all right."

"Mermando, what about us?" asked Mabel.

"Sorry, Mabel," said Mermando. "My love for you has been replaced by a new and better love."

Mabel cried quietly as Mr. Poolcheck got Dipper out of the cell and wrote him a pardon.

"Don't think you're getting away scot free, young criminal," said Poolcheck. "I'm also writing on here that you're banned from the pool for life."

"I never want to see this pool again," said Dipper. "Though I will miss seeing Wendy here."

"Leading her into trouble-making is another of your crimes," said Poolcheck. "But she's not working here any more. I fired her for taking too many snacks."

"Oh," said Dipper.

"I am ready to go back to the ocean with you," said Mermando. "But I cannot be out of water or I cannot breathe."

"Take the water cooler I brought in the Mystery Cart," said Mabel, sniffing back tears. "I was thinking I would have to move you to the lake after busting Dipper out, just to be safe. You and Poolcheck can swim from there back to the sea."

"That's a good plan," said Poolcheck. "I'll help you swim up the waterfall. I'm a very strong swimmer."

They filled the cooler with water and Mermando got into it. Mabel, Dipper, and Poolcheck drove to Gravity Falls Lake in the Mystery Cart.

"Goodbye, Mabel" said Mermando. "I will always remember you."

"So will I," said Mabel.

"No goodbye kisses, or I'll be jealous," said Poolcheck.

Mermando jumped into the water and did a leap like the whale in "Free Willie." Poolcheck dived in after him and together they swam away toward the waterfall.

"Mabel, you don't seem as sad as I would have expected over losing your summer love," said Dipper.

"This is all according to plan," Mabel said. "Mermando is faking."

"What?" said Dipper. "He got hit with the potion. I saw it from my cell window."

"If you already have a love that's guaranteed to last all summer long, another dose can't change that. Mermando's immune."

"How do you know for sure?"

"Wendy gave me the potion, and we tested it on each other."

"If it hadn't worked, you'd be in love with Wendy, and she with you?"

"We could have put ourselves back in love with our guys with more potion."

"If you wanted to, after that."

"Anyway, it worked and you're free."

"I can't wait to see Wendy and thank her. Thank you, too, Mabel. I was afraid I would never get out of there."

"No problem, bro-bro," said Mabel, hugging him. "By the way, you need a bath. More than usual, I mean. The stink of that place is on you."

* * *

A few days later, Stan was back out of jail, and he and Gideon were under a restraining order to keep away from each other.

Mabel showed Dipper a note in a bottle she got from Mermando.

"When he got home safely, he had Poolcheck incarcerated in an undersea cave for his abuse of you and the other prisoner," said Mabel. "Mermando is a prince in his home country, so he could do it easily. Just think, I'm dating a prince!"

"Does Poolcheck have air down there?" Dipper asked.

"Yes, he's got air, food, and water," said Mabel. "Mermando writes that the conditions are just as good as the cell where he locked you up."

"When is Mermando coming back?" asked Dipper. "I didn't think I would like him at first, but he really came through for me."

"As soon as he can," said Mabel. "There are diplomatic negotiations going on to prevent a war with the kingdom of the manatees. That's one of the down sides of being a prince, royal duties and all that stuff."

"Good. I hope he comes back to you soon," said Dipper. "Wendy and I are going strong."

"I hope it lasts. She's a little old for you," said Mabel.

"It may not. I keep thinking it's just the potion, and I'm heading for heartbreak," said Dipper.

"If that happens, I'll help you find a rebound crush," said Mabel. "What about Candy?"

"There's no attraction there," said Dipper. "I'm more likely to end up with Pacifica Northwest than her."

"Eew! As if!" said Mabel.

THE END


End file.
